I took 4 medium sized Gala apples, cored them, and sliced them peel and all, into thin curly ribbons using the flat blade of my veggie spiral-izer. I cut as much as I could into C shaped rounds, but kept the little pieces and soaked all of the pieces in pineapple juice for a few minutes. Then I patted them dry, sprinkled cinnamon on top, rubbed it in with my fingertips and arranged them on the dehydrator trays. Put the dehydrator stack together, set the temperature to 135, and turned it on. Come morning I should have a bunch of yummy cinnamon flavored dried apple chips.

The pineapple juice was a tip I found on Youtube. Usually I'd dip the slices in diluted lemon juice so the acid could prevent browning. But apparently the pineapple has enough acid to do the job, and also gives a little bit of extra sweetness and flavor. We'll see how they turn out.

I had some kale that was going to go bad if I didn't use it up, so I tried my hand at making kale chips. I love to buy them but they are expensive!

It was very simple, just tossed kale lightly with EVOO and salt, baked at 350 for about 15 minutes.

my older daughter made kale chips. they are tricky things. so fine and thin. they went from crispy done to burnt in a jiffy. her first batch was burned to a crisp, but then she got the timing down and they turned out better. with some salt on them, delish.

I took 4 medium sized Gala apples, cored them, and sliced them peel and all, into thin curly ribbons using the flat blade of my veggie spiral-izer. I cut as much as I could into C shaped rounds, but kept the little pieces and soaked all of the pieces in pineapple juice for a few minutes. Then I patted them dry, sprinkled cinnamon on top, rubbed it in with my fingertips and arranged them on the dehydrator trays. Put the dehydrator stack together, set the temperature to 135, and turned it on. Come morning I should have a bunch of yummy cinnamon flavored dried apple chips.

The pineapple juice was a tip I found on Youtube. Usually I'd dip the slices in diluted lemon juice so the acid could prevent browning. But apparently the pineapple has enough acid to do the job, and also gives a little bit of extra sweetness and flavor. We'll see how they turn out.

how did these turn out? think it would work if i just left them on 135 in the oven during the day?

Today I made pot roast hash with new potatoes, peppers and onions and a fried egg. Then borscht. Then saffron rice with carrots, peppers and onions, chorizo, shrimp and cilantro.Some of it will just go straight into the freezer to make my life easier those weeks I'm too busy to cook.

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One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop ... and devote our attention to eating. ~Luciano Pavarotti

i was trying to use up some stuff we had around. i made hub pasta in homemade spinach/mushroom/parm cream sauce. spinach was stuff that popped up in my garden after the last few days of rain. had half a jar of mushrooms left in the fridge. just used about a 1/3 of a container of the grated shaker cheese we had in the fridge. turned out pretty yummy. had it with baked chicken and corn on the cob.

So, I was super excited to have yesterday off and a three day weekend. Yay! And a little surprised to be so exhausted by about one o'clock in the afternoon that I just had to lay down for a quick nap. Eight hours later I woke up. With a cold. Which explains why I was so tired, and also why I'm up in the middle of the night cooking.

So far I've made salmon, green beans, and cauliflower chowder with pancetta, marjoram and a little montamore cheese. Technically, I think it might not be chowder anymore, since I added the cheese.

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One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop ... and devote our attention to eating. ~Luciano Pavarotti

i have no idea. i have boneless skinless chicken out and have to find something to make. have you ever just been sick of everything?

Just brainstorming for you – I don’t know what else you have at hand, what you normally make (so are bored of), and what you all like.

- Chicken tacos (if you have either hard or soft taco shells, and other ingredients)
- Shred/chop the chicken once cooked and make chicken based dirty rice
- Cut it into strips, make a honey/mustard/(white wine or water) sauce to coat them in, then bake
- Cut into strips, coat in yoghurt with a bit of mustard mixed in, then coat in crushed corn-flakes, bake
- Make up a mild curry sauce and cook it in that, then serve over rice
- Cut it into thin strips, fry it up, then put strips into grilled cheese sandwiches
- Chicken nachos
- Bake them, cut them into halves the hard way (getting two thinner halves), then make fun chicken burgers by putting cheese in the middle and bun on the outside
- Stir fry up with some broccoli – simple but always delicious!
- Go right to putting it into a soup
- Chicken chili

I hope I helped spark your imagination in some way.

__________________Criticism is so often nothing more than the eye garrulously denouncing the shape of the peephole that gives access to hidden treasure.

Just brainstorming for you – I don’t know what else you have at hand, what you normally make (so are bored of), and what you all like.

- Chicken tacos (if you have either hard or soft taco shells, and other ingredients)
- Shred/chop the chicken once cooked and make chicken based dirty rice
- Cut it into strips, make a honey/mustard/(white wine or water) sauce to coat them in, then bake
- Cut into strips, coat in yoghurt with a bit of mustard mixed in, then coat in crushed corn-flakes, bake
- Make up a mild curry sauce and cook it in that, then serve over rice
- Cut it into thin strips, fry it up, then put strips into grilled cheese sandwiches
- Chicken nachos
- Bake them, cut them into halves the hard way (getting two thinner halves), then make fun chicken burgers by putting cheese in the middle and bun on the outside
- Stir fry up with some broccoli – simple but always delicious!
- Go right to putting it into a soup
- Chicken chili

I hope I helped spark your imagination in some way.

we ended up having tacos tonight, so have to use the chicken tomorrow. your ideas were wonderful! thanks! i am going to try the dirty rice thing. will let you know how it turns out.